Changing Winds
by QueenNeen
Summary: Enemies, Dark Ace and Aerrow, crash land on a frozen terra and are forced to work together to survive the brutal terrain. Behold a battle of wits and the clashing of ideals.


"My friends will come looking for me," said Aerrow confidently, leaning down to examine the damage done to his skimmer. The underbelly of the hull was heavily indented due to the crash and it appeared that the only way he could get through to the interior was by prying it open. Aerrow eyed the area in search for a solution. Sadly, it looked like the best way he was going to accomplish this was by unscrewing the bolts surrounding it. He sighed, that would have to work for now. He'd best to get the wrench out.

"Are you sure they will come?" The Dark Ace mocked, abandoning his own skimmer and making way towards Aerrow's.

"Of course I'm sure. See, unlike your Cyclonian thugs, the Storm Hawks are always there for each other."

The Dark Ace snorted, halting on the opposite side of the wrecked sky vehicle. "I find that hard to believe, especially at a crucial time like this."

Aerrow was caught off guard, but did not wish to show his hesitation. "Why do you say that?" He asked carefully, lifting the toolbox out of the compartment from the back of his skimmer and placed it onto the snow covered ground.

"Think. We have crashed into the heart of an icy canyon miles and miles deep, on a terra where life is barely sustainable," The Dark Ace raised his arms up wide as if to encompass their surroundings in his lanky arms. "You honestly think anyone is going to change course and come to this frozen wasteland looking for two people when the biggest battle of the century is about to take place? No."

Aerrow grimaced but said nothing as he opened the toolbox and began rummaging through its contents searching for a wrench.

"We are at war. Both our forces are headed to Atmos right now," exclaimed the Dark Ace avidly. "This, young Sky Knight, is probably the most critical battle of them all. If Cyclonia is able to win this battle, then the entire order of Sky Knights is done for and the entire Atmos will be under our control!" The Dark Ace clenched his fist, a wild glint in his eyes. "There are dire consequences for losing this battle."

"Maybe for you Cyclonians," Spat Aerrow as he found the wrench and crouched down again to inspect the bolt he was going to unhinge. "But the common people are finally starting to realize that the Order of the Sky Knights is on _their_side. We will win."

"Oh no, Aerrow, " The Dark Ace growled, leaning onto the broken skimmer. "You live in a world where you think everyone sees your little Sky Knights as the heroes and even revere you as Gods. Ha!" Dark Ace laughed in disgust. "How sheltered and naive you are. If only you knew the truth, you would reconsider those very words you just uttered."

"No," Aerrow argued in protest. "You are the one who has it wrong, Dark Ace. The Sky Knights are the protectors of the peace, the champions of justice and they fight for what is good. You fight for evil!"

The Dark Ace paused, glanced over at Aerrow, a smirk slowly plastering onto his face. "But what makes the ideas or actions of any said group good or bad, hmm? You don't think the Cyclonians are fighting for something?"

Aerrow stopped what he was doing, and looked up. What was the Dark Ace getting at? "You just want to make the people of Atmos unhappy as possible. You have no heart."

The Dark Ace snorted, "We give people jobs. The Talons for example; most of them come from the outer-rim terras that have been shunned by the Sky Council because they are an embarrassment to your organization. They are utterly worthless to them and all because they lack the resources that you desire for profit. We give them hope, a life to live, happiness…when you would deny them those basic privileges. Millions of people have died and continue to live in sorrow because of the Council's lack of empathy!"

Aerrow's eyes grew wide in bewilderment. "But-"

The Cyclonian commander cut him off, "Have you ever thought, that maybe, just maybe, what you live in is not a free and just governing system, but a corrupt one ruled by an oligarchy?"

"What are you even talking about?" Aerrow squinted in confusion.

"Do you have any idea of whom I might be referring to?" The Dark Ace asked rubbing his chin in mock contemplation.

"No, I don't," Aerrow said defiantly. He bent back down to examine the interior of his skimmer. "Nor do I care, because there is nothing similar to what you are describing in our governmental system." Taking the wrench he began to twist at one of the bolts above him. Much to his dismay, oil began to drip onto his face and he flinched back. "Shit," He murmured, ignoring the Dark Ace whom was still perched over the wrecked skimmer smirking down at him in amusement. It was rather unnerving, thought Aerrow as he reached for the toolbox behind him in search for a rag. The Dark Ace was not only a psycho with crazy and untrue ideas, but also a creep. Aerrow reached for the sad excuse for a rag that lay under a pile of tools.

"Let me give you a hint," The Dark Ace pressed on, leaning over the skimmer further while Aerrow grabbed a handful of snow, added it to the rag to melt, then pressed the cold cloth to his face and began wiping off the grimy oil.

"Who formed the Sky Knights?"

Aerrow rubbed vigorously at his face, his reply muffled. "Why, the Sky council of course."

"Uh-huh," The Dark Ace nodded slowly. "And why do you suppose they did that?"

"I can't believe I'm repeating this—" Aerrow sighed in frustration. "They want to protect Atmos so they issued the creation of the Sky Knights."

"Ah ha!" The Dark Ace snapped his fingers. "But have you ever wondered if they created the Sky Knights to protect themselves for their own selfish gain?"

"They would never do that!" Aerrow threw down his wrench and the now oil covered rag into the snow then glared up at the Dark Ace. "They care about all the terras and the people who inhabit them!"

"Right, right," sarcasm laced the Dark Ace's voice, "And definitely not about their own selfish ideals and ambitions."

Aerrow rolled his eyes and picked up the wrench again, proceeding to work on the stubborn bolt. This time careful to avoid the oil dripping from it, "And…you're point?"

"I'm saying that the Sky Knights are a perfect cover up for a hidden operative." The Dark Ace exclaimed nonchalantly while adjusting the glove on his right hand slowly and calculating. "They brainwash you Sky Knights and the common people to believe that they are truly innocent, when in fact they are the ones behind the corruption! There are codes and morals that you supposedly follow and worship, but what if you discovered that the creators of those very standards didn't even follow them?"

Aerrow stood up clutching his head. "Stop, that's enough! I don't want to hear anymore!"

"Think about it," The Dark Ace said intently, "They are crooks-leeches of the system. They take what they want to add to their own power. And they use _you_Sky Knights as their self righteous means of achieving it."

"But we have missions to protect the people!" Aerrow shouted angrily. The pain in his head was growing stronger.

"Again, I say it's the perfect cover up. You Sky Knights are the clueless followers of the corrupt codes the Council created for the benefits of themselves. You will do anything you believe is in the interest of good, even when in truth, it is for a deceitful cause."

"Yeah, then how come I haven't seen any of this?" Aerrow put a hand to his hip. "I find this hard to believe unless I've seen it."

"That's what I once said too." The Dark Ace muttered quietly to himself.

This didn't go unnoticed by Aerrow. "Wait, what was that?"

By then, the Dark Ace realized his slipup; he averted his gaze, suddenly at a loss for words. "Nothing," he suddenly breathed in sharply, shifting his weight against Aerrow's skimmer, keen on changing the subject. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Aerrow narrowed his eyes. "You Sky Knights are the pawns in this game of elite strategists whose sole purpose is to gain power, whom-"

"Who said the same thing as me?" Aerrow interrupted angrily, not willing to let the previous subject go so easily.

"It's none of your business, child." The Dark Ace shot back venomously.

"Then why did you bring it up?"

"I said drop it boy!" The Dark Ace hissed.

Aerrow frowned. The Dark Ace was hiding something he was very uncomfortable talking about. That much was obvious. He hoped he would eventually find out what. Wait! What the hell was he even thinking about? Aerrow thought in alarm. He wanted to get as far away from the Dark Ace as possible! Not be stuck here on this terra and find out more about the Talon commander's darkest secrets.

Aerrow shook his head vigorously. The Dark Ace noticed his change in behavior and gave him a weird look. Embarrassed, Aerrow decided the best way to forget about this was to drown himself in more argumentation. "I still find it impossible to believe that something as pure as the Sky Knights are really used for such horrible means as you say."

What the Dark Ace said next was least expected. "Lies must be threaded within truths and deception must be threaded within pure ideals. That's the way the world works." The Dark Ace stared at him with an intensity he had never seen before. The Talon's words sent shivers down his spine, and he felt trapped in that blood red gaze-so vulnerable and incapable of defending himself. Those eyes were like the devil himself and were going to drag him down into the fiery pits of hell! It was then, in that very moment that Aerrow began to realize he was witnessing a tiny glimpse of the depth that this man held within him. A man with a bloody past…a man who had suffered from much and had learned from his harrowing experiences. And now, because of this, he was sharing was what he believed was the ultimate truth. Quite frankly, it shook Aerrow to the core. What if the Dark Ace was right? Was what he knew, what he had always believed to be true, not real at all? Now he didn't know what to think, and it was beyond terrifying! Aerrow shivered violently.

"You have to know what direction the winds are changing." Aerrow's thoughts were interrupted again by the Dark Ace's deceptive voice. But he now noticed that the Dark Ace's gaze had become glazed over with an expression he couldn't quite put his finger on. "The big question is," The older man continued, running a hand over the shiny finish of the skimmer. "What is in the best interest of the people?" He looked down at Aerrow. "Do you know what that is, Aerrow?"  
>Aerrow blinked, unable to speak.<br>Done with his little speech, the Dark Ace smirked down at Aerrow, as if pleased with his mind-bending abilities. "It's just something to think about." He winked at Aerrow then lifted himself off the broken skimmer. "Best get a camp started, what do you say?" Aerrow, of course, too overburdened with the Dark Ace's words, said nothing. He could only stare in horror as the Dark Ace swaggered back over to his own wrecked skimmer.

'Changing Winds' is based on the theme of an individual's interpretation of what is morally correct and good and evil.  
>Dark Ace and Aerrow, being mortal enemies, obviously have their battle of wits and clashing of ideals!<br>Of course, this all has to take place in a setting and situation they never dreamed possible. A barren and freezing terra where their skimmers conveniently wreck perhaps?  
>YEAH,<br>You know, it's that whole enemies- actually- don't -sit -down -and -talk- with -each -other- unless -they- are- put -in -a -drastic -situation- where- they- both- need- to -work -together- to -survive -cliche. Yeah, it's very apparent that I don't often write fanfiction! But I've had this one in my head for awhile-writing bits and pieces of it here and there every once and a while. Please disregard my grammatical and spelling errors!

I drew a picture for this fic, you can find it in my profile-

Disclaimer: I do not own Storm Hawks.


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